


And thus the snake eats its own tail

by arcaneplume



Category: Dragalia Lost (Video Game)
Genre: Body Horror, Low quality, M/M, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:40:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25461070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arcaneplume/pseuds/arcaneplume
Summary: Valerio and Orion reunite after a long time apart. There's something Valerio wants to tell him - what could it be..?
Relationships: Valerio/Orion (Dragalia Lost)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 2





	And thus the snake eats its own tail

**Author's Note:**

> This is both an experiment and a shitpost. I won't explain myself. Since I can't currently add tags, I'll mention there's implied Valerio/Orion.

It was a beautiful summer morning, dewy with sunlight. Its rosy drowsiness was perturbed by the entwining tunes of blackbirds and a nearby stream, a burbling counterpoint to the sleepy step of a lone sylvan, walking down the halls of the Halidom.

Orion woke up with a sense of unease that day. He had fallen asleep in Valerio's arms, reunited for once, since they were both off of work. The chef asked him to meet up there, saying that he wanted to "show him something", that it was time. None of Orion's sweetest words and honeyed fanfare could breach that wall of secrecy - he'd merely smile with quiet gentleness, stating that all would be clear soon enough.

And yet, the bed was so very cold that morning, nestled alone in lonely darkness.

As he shambled towards the kitchen, he tried to swallow that unexplainable tension in his heart. Indeed, his instincts were honed to the subtlest of edges through his work - but for once in his life, he couldn't divine its message. Perhaps he just needed to drink some water, before going to look for Valerio. In fact, it was pretty likely he'd find him there, cooking up something.

He reached the kitchen, and just as suspected, there he was. Valerio stood with his back to the door, perfectly still. Orion figured he was simply lost in thought, but there was something  _ unnatural  _ in his pose, the way it seemed to be eerily devoid of movement, akin to a frostbitten statue.

" Good morning, Orion." He turned, a smile gracing his pristine visage - and yet, it had a slightly crooked hint, pensive. "Apologies for leaving. I was making preparations, you see."

The way he dropped each word with deliberation struck a worried chord in his heart. "...preparations for what?"

Valerio unbuttoned his shirt. "I did mention I wished to show you something, yes? I was… bracing myself." The clothing fell to the ground, leaving his torso out in the crisp morning air.

"Ah, you wish to witness new, bold vistas of love together? I'd do anything for you, dear. However…" Orion hesitantly approached him, trying to push against that cryptid aura, his distant gaze. "You seem hesitant. We can wait until you're truly ready - you must fully enjoy yourself, after all."

"Ah… Orion. You misunderstand". Valerio pulled out a knife. "As delectable as it sounds, I have something better. Witness."

He aimed the tip of the blade at his own chest, slightly above the sternum. Orion darted immediately to stop his hand, but froze in horror.

The knife sank into his flesh with an impossible ease, before cutting down with a decisive slash, cracking open a straight line. Instead of the blood and guts Orion was expecting, light seeped through, reminiscent of moonlight. Valerio showed no sign of pain, just a hint of melancholy.

He opened his torso, unveiling a shimmering, geode-like interior. Impossibly deep, it hosted thistle and turquoise growths, hanging out of the opening like ripened fruit, exuding cold. A starry backdrop swirled within like incense, its fumes dropping the temperature of the room below zero. Orion swore he could hear a hum.

"We bring a gift, Orion." His voice sounded utterly alien, veined with ivory and ice. "We bring a gift. You will partake in our flesh. You will become our next."

Orion couldn't move - not because he was paralyzed in fear. Valerio's gaze kept him in his thrall, in what was undoubtedly some sort of enchantment. His muscles were unresponsive, their control stolen by that horrible hum, senses pierced by that shrill cold.

He reached out for one of the growths, folded in impossible shapes. He plucked it, effortlessly. His fingers started opening up in chilblains.

Orion feasted with tears in his eyes, freezing over in painful pearls. It was sweet, like mead, like sugar, like love. It numbed his mouth, filling up with his own blood. He could feel things taking root as he started harvesting more and more, a prisoner in his own body, watching as the rest of Valerio's body started turning into the soft, sponge-like substance. 

He could do nothing but consume, clawing at the  _ thing  _ he was straddling on the floor, scraping for crumbs.

The last thing Orion could feel was terror.

\---

Cleo walked into the kitchen. The second she stepped into the room, she shuddered. She handwaved it as an uncontrollable body reaction, but she swore she could sense the slightest hint of mana disruption. It lasted but a moment. Perhaps she was mistaken?

"Ah, greetings, fair lady!" Orion was at the counter, a half empty glass of water in his hand. "How wondrous for us to meet like this! It must be fate-- brought together by the sun's warmest rays! May I perhaps offer my aid--"

"No, Orion. Thank you." She firmly rejected him, as usual. "I appreciate the offer, but I don't require help right now."

Orion didn't lose heart, and instead bowed with a flourish. "Worry not, O sylvan maiden! You need but to call for me, and I'll come running! I shall always be devoted to every single one of your needs and delights!"

"Yes. Noted. Off you go, now." Orion winked, and left like the wind. Cleo caught an unknown scent in his wake, like dried up flowers, or moss-eaten bark.

She tried not to think about it too much, but suddenly, the pristine room felt oppressive.


End file.
